


Illuminated

by elation



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Kid!Fic, M/M, Mentions of PTSD, cas doing the comforting, really that's kind of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-02 23:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6586612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elation/pseuds/elation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel is willing to do anything to work around Dean's fears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Illuminated

Eleven year old Castiel has a problem. A big problem. The biggest problem of problems. If Castiel stretched out his arms as wide as they could go, it’d even be bigger than that. That’s how big his problem is. 

The problem? His best friend in the whole wide world, Dean Winchester. Not just Dean, though. Dean Winchester _and_ the dark.

Frankly, it sucks. And if it were possible, well, Castiel would just get rid of the dark altogether. It’s dumb and Castiel hates it.

According to his big brother Gabriel, being scared of the dark is a normal thing at their age, but Castiel’s Aunt Amara thinks different. She says that Dean is scared because of a side effect caused from something called Post Tra-,

Post Tray-,

Post-something. Basically, Dean’s mom died when he was eight, she says. A bad guy came into their room and took her away. It was scary and sudden and left the Winchester family without Mary. If it hadn’t been for Dean’s dad, they would have done the same thing to Sam. Dean’s way better than he was, or at least that’s what Mr. Winchester told her, but some things don’t die so easy. It’s really hard to deal with sometimes. Aunt Amara refuses to discuss it further. It’s their agreement and Castiel doesn’t think he would even want to know more, but. 

Castiel just wants to have a sleep over. For Dean to spend the night and eat junk food and play video games and watch TV and do all the things they normally do but at _night_  where Dean can lay next to Castiel and they can build a fort and stay up late and do, you know, fun friend stuff. 

Except, it’s gotten so bad that Dean has begun to ignore him every time he asks. 

“Dean, please. Aunt Amara said we could bake cookies. And there’d be pie. We can watch whatever you want, just -” 

“I said no. No, alright? I can’t, dude. You know how my Dad is. Just drop it. I’ll come over tomorrow, yeah? Oh! Ms. Cooper said it’ll be sunny tomorrow. We could play cops and robbers!” 

Cops and robbers is Castiel’s favorite game to play, Dean knows. During the day. Outside.

 It’s not what he wants. 

Standing in front of his best friend, the bravest and strongest person he knows, Castiel doesn’t want to cry, but after so many times of getting shot down, he can feel the lump in his throat grow and grow and grow and -

“Hey, hey. No, Cas, don’t cry. Oh crap, no - please. Dude, i’m sorry. It’s not you. You know? It’s not you. It’s me. Please don’t cry.” 

It doesn’t make it better. Nothing ever makes it better. Castiel has asked and asked and asked and if he’s counting right it’s been thirteen times since the beginning of the year and everything feels hopeless.

That is, until Castiel eyes exactly the answer to his problems walking down a Walmart aisle one night helping his Aunt pick out part supplies for Gabriel’s eighteenth birthday party. 

When she agrees to buy them, Castiel thinks it’s a big possibility he might start crying again. He’s on top of the world. They immediately unload groceries at home and get to work. That night was the night. 

It would just take some convincing. And Amara’s meatloaf, that was obvious, but Castiel was determined. 

So when both boys inevitably play outside that afternoon, he is prepared to fight to the death to get his best friend to stay for dinner. Although he didn’t believe it would take much.

Dean and Castiel are panting and sprawled out on the concrete to catch their breath after a race from one side of the street to the other when Castiel asks, “Meatloaf?” 

And as Castiel knew he would, Dean nods vigorously and without breaking a sweat, gets up to sprint to the Novak house, leaving Castiel to follow. 

Dinner is amazing, as always, and Dean eats like it’s his last meal, as always, and both boys are full and happy as they finish cleaning up the dishes with Castiel’s aunt. When she’s ready to release them, she gives her nephew a faint nod to signal a continuation of the night’s festivities. Throwing their towels on the counter, Amara ushers them out of the kitchen.

He tries for a gentle tug to Dean’s wrist when he asks, “Call of Duty?” although he’s expecting Dean’s light frown and anxious look at the clock hanging above their fridge. 

“It’s actually getting kind of late, Cas. Maybe tomorrow?” He’s feeling bad, as always, but this time Castiel doesn’t let him dwell on it, because he’s tugging the other boy up the stairs before he even gets to answer. 

“Come on, it’ll be really fast, promise. I just have to show you something.” 

This peaks Dean’s interest, apparently, because he stops resisting and lets himself be dragged. 

With the lights on, Dean is none the wiser, and hops on Castiel’s bed, crossed legged and curious. Castiel remains in his place by the bedroom’s entrance. He feels like a mad scientist.  

Dean looks around, expectant, maybe a new game system? But can’t place the surprise. His confusion is evident when he asks, “So….what were you gonna show me?” 

Castiel’s flip of the switch is immediate, his bedroom immediately bathed in darkness.

Well, it would be, If it weren’t for the stars. 

Placed strategically all around the bedroom, the ceiling, the walls, any available surface, were small, bright, glow-in-the-dark stars. 

It’s very pretty, if Castiel is honest with himself. Both Castiel, Amara, and even Gabriel did a very good job with the placements. 

Back on the bed, Dean is silent. Too silent. It’s bright, but not bright enough to see his best friend’s facial expression from his distance, and even though Castiel knew full well the stars were up, Dean did not, and it’s not lost on the possibility that the younger boy could have been incredibly scared for the split second it took to realize he wasn’t in complete darkness, that he’s angry. 

Instead, the oversized lump on his bed starts to sniffle. Castiel feels like he’s been hit by a bus. Castiel’s feet take him on autopilot to his bed where he practically launches himself at Dean, hugging him tight. 

To his surprise, Dean hugs back, and even speaks out to him, quiet and hoarse, “You did this…for me?” 

His thoughts are running a mile a minute, but he eagerly shakes his head and says, “Yes, I did, but I’m so sorry Dean, I didn’t mean to make you cry, I swear. Your Dad told Aunt Amara that you were scared of the dark and that really upset me, you know? Because I know you told me no, but I wanted you to stay here with me, at night, so we could have sleepovers, and I knew that my room is dark, really dark, but that didn’t mean it had to be, you know? And god, I didn’t mean to make you cry Dean I’m so sorry please believe I didn’t mean for it to go this way.” 

Dean is nodding and nodding and nodding into Castiel’s shoulder and Castiel doesn’t know what that means, but he really hopes it means Dean isn’t angry or upset or anything that would make Dean not ever want to see Castiel again, because if that happened, Castiel doesn’t know what he would do, he just doesn’t. 

It’s none of that, though, as Dean gently cuts off anything else Castiel had to say when he gently reaches up to to peck him on the cheek.  “Shhh, I know.” and “Thank you, Cas. So much.” 

They have their sleep over. And many, many more. The stars stay and years down the line, so does Dean. 

**Author's Note:**

> Rebloggable version [here.](http://fallencxstiel.tumblr.com/post/142981805484/eleven-year-old-castiel-has-a-problem-a-big)


End file.
